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Gallup Brain: History of the Youth Vote

by Linda Lyons, Education and Youth Editor

Memories of the 2000 presidential election -- the closest in
American history -- are still vivid in the minds of political
strategists as they court voters in this year's race for the White
House. With many polarizing issues before the electorate, the
youngest voters, large numbers of whom are political independents,
could swing the election. But the nation's youngest voters weren't
always as young as they are today. Just 33 years ago, on July 5,
1971, President Richard Nixon certified the 26th
Amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

"Father of the 26th Amendment"

West Virginia Sen. Jennings Randolph first proposed legislation
to amend the Constitution to lower the voting age in 1942, during
World War II. Central to the issue of granting the vote to
18-20-year-olds was the question: If they are old enough to fight
and die for our country, are they also old enough to participate in
the voting process? During that year, Gallup asked, "Would you
favor changing the law to allow men and women, 18, 19, and 20 years
old, to vote?" Only 39% of Americans said "yes," 52% said "no," and
9% had no opinion.

Randolph, often referred to as the "Father of the
26th Amendment," would introduce the bill 11 times
between 1942 and 1971. Gallup polling from that period shows that
Americans steadily warmed to the idea. A May 1953 poll showed, for
the first time, a majority of Americans in favor of allowing 18- to
20-year-olds the right to vote. Gallup continued to show majority
support for lowering the voting age in the 1950s and 1960s using a
variety of question wordings. By 1968, two in three Americans said
that "persons 18, 19, and 20 years old should be permitted to
vote." That level of support subsided somewhat in later years
leading up to the ratification of the amendment, but still remained
above the majority level.

This decline in support may be a function of the social and
political upheavals of the late 1960s. Among other issues, there
was a growing division between younger and older Americans fueled
by violent antiwar protests over the Vietnam conflict. (See "Gallup
Brain: War and Peace Protests" in Related Items.)

OK, Now Where Should College Students Vote?

Soon after the amendment was passed, another issue arose --
should college students vote where they attend school, or in their
hometowns? College and university towns were especially concerned
about this question, because voting students could potentially have
a large political impact on places where they were not permanent
residents.

In July 1971, a few weeks after Nixon certified the
26th Amendment, Gallup asked, "Do you think college
students should vote in the community where they attend college, or
should they vote in the community where they come from?" The
majority of Americans (67%) said they should vote at home, 23% said
at college, and 10% had no opinion. The Supreme Court ruled in 1972
that college students should be allowed to vote in either
place.

Voter Registration Boom?

Newly empowered with the legal right to vote in 1971, did 18- to
20-year-olds turn out in droves to register? Apparently not.
According to a Gallup trend question asked in October 1971 -- "Is
your name now recorded in the registration book of the precinct or
election district where you now live?" -- just 34% of this group
had registered to vote by that time. Five months later, 41% of 18-
to 20-year-olds had registered to vote in time for the 1972
presidential election. But that registration figure didn't change
much from that point on -- in fact, according to the U.S. Census,
it remained exactly the same before the 2000 election, 28 years
later.

Actual voter turnout in 1972 was the highest ever recorded for
young voters -- half of the 11 million potential new voters went to
the polls, according to the New Jersey Public Interest Research
Group. But that figure has declined steadily ever since: Census
statistics indicate that only 28% of 18- to 20-year-olds voted in
the 2000 election.

Bottom Line

Fast forward to election year 2004. Anticipating another close
election, both political parties are busy wooing those prized young
Americans. Numerous Web sites -- Rock the Vote and the New Voters
Project, among others -- have sprung up to inform, register, and
encourage young voters to make their voices heard at the polls this
year. The mission of New Voters Project is typical of many --
"Since the strength of a democracy is measured by the participation
of its citizens," their Web site proclaims, "the New Voters Project
will ensure a bright future for America, activating young adults to
drive the very engine of our democracy and cast their votes."
Randolph would surely applaud their mission.

Slightly more Americans agree (52%) than disagree (45%) that the federal government is responsible for making sure all Americans have healthcare coverage. This balance of views is similar to last year.

Americans' daily self-reports of spending averaged $98 in November, up from $93 in October. The latest figure is the highest average recorded for the month of November since Gallup began tracking consumer spending in 2008.